No-sew cornice

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a wall hanging device or cornice that can be readily covered with fabrics and other materials for decorative purposes without the need for sewing or pinning. Fabrics and other materials may be replaced to change the appearance as desired. The device includes a rigid hollow core or profile that is covered with resilient foam. The rigid profile provides a structure that allows the cornice to span wide distances without noticeable sagging. The rigid profile is also provided with slots or channels corresponding to the edges of the foam covering that accept decorative fabrics or other materials. The resiliency and coefficient of friction of the foam provides sufficient grip to hold fabric or other materials to the device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a decorative window treatmentdevice and, more particularly, to a decorative window treatment devicethat can be covered with fabric or other decorative materials withoutsewing or pinning.

[0003] 2. Description of Related Art

[0004] Numerous methods have been devised to provide decorations wallsor windows. Many of these methods require considerable skill, time, andexpense. It is desirable to have a method of providing a decorativeelement to windows or to walls that does not require significant time orskills, and that can be changed easily to provide multiple decorativeiterations.

[0005] Attempts have been made to avoid the need of sewing in suchdevices. Barone, U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,331, teaches a semi-soft form witha slit cut into an exterior surface, allowing the fabric to wrap theform and the ends to be tucked into the slit. Potts, U.S. Pat. No.5,345,990, improved upon this concept by allowing for multiple slits andshapes cut into the form and attaching a rigid member for support.

[0006] As suggested above, attempts have been made to simplify theattachment of fabric to a window treatment or wall hanging device. Theprior art fails to provide simple means to assemble the device itself orthe structural stability provided by a rigid core.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention provides a decorative window treatmentdevice (e.g., a wall hanging device or cornice) that can be readilycovered with fabrics and other materials for decorative purposes withoutthe need for sewing or pinning. Fabrics and other materials may bereplaced to change the aesthetic appearance or decor of a room asdesired with great ease and minimal expense. The device comprises anelongate rigid core or profile that is covered with a layer of resilientmaterial, preferably foam. The elongate rigid core provides a structurethat allows the device to span wide distances without noticeablesagging. The elongate rigid core is also provided with at least onechannel or slot through which the edge of a sheet of decorative materialcan be passed. The resiliency and coefficient of friction of theresilient material adjacent to the opening provides sufficient grip tohold the decorative material to the device.

[0008] A principal object of the invention is to provide an elongaterigid core structure that provides a means to easily mount or changedecorative materials.

[0009] A further object is to provide a means to cover the ends of thecornice and span the distance between the cornice and the wall.

[0010] Other objects will become apparent from the followingdescription, which refer to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] The foregoing and other features of the invention are hereinaftermore fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, thefollowing description setting forth in detail certain illustrativeembodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but afew of the various ways in which the principles of the present inventionmay be employed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012]FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of a deviceaccording to the invention.

[0013]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the device shownin FIG. 1.

[0014]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the device shown inFIG. 1.

[0015]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 1showing a preferred wall mounting means.

[0016]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another portion of the deviceshown in FIG. 1.

[0017]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the portion of the deviceshown in FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The decorative window treatment device according to the presentinvention is primarily intended for use as a window cornice. However,the device may be used in other applications where a decorative fabriccovered panel is desired such as, for example, a wall hanging.

[0019] Referring to FIG. 1, a device according to the inventionpreferably comprises a single straight section 1, although multiplestraight sections of the same length or different lengths may be used inorder to incrementally adjust the width of the window treatment deviceto suit a particular application. Connectors 4 can be utilized, ifnecessary, to join straight sections together. It will be appreciatedthat the configuration of the connectors 4 is not critical, and varioustypes of connectors can be used. In the embodiment of the inventionshown in FIG. 1, the connectors comprise rigid tabs that slide intoreceiving boxes on adjacent sections.

[0020] Although connectors 4 are useful for joining straight sectionstogether, it is preferable that the entire device be constructed of asingle panel, which may be one continuous length, and may also include ameans to form the end returns as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0021] Referring to FIG. 2, a cross-sectional view of a straight section1 is shown. Optional end returns 3 and 4 preferably have the samecross-section. The straight section 1 comprises an elongate rigid core 5or profile having a layer of resilient material 6 and 7 such as foamadhered thereto. The foam 6 and 7 has edges that are wrapped into slotsor elongate channels 8 that are cut into the rear side of the elongaterigid core 5 and provide an opening to a first interior cavity. The foammay also have edges that butt against each other or be spaced apartslightly to form a gap. A single sheet of decorative material 10 such asfabric is shown wrapped around the foam 6 and 7 and tucked into slot 8.The resiliency and frictional properties of the foam 6 and 7 grip thefabric and retain it in place.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the front side of theelongate rigid core is also provided with an elongate channel or slotthat defines and opening to a front interior cavity. This configurationallows for the use of two or more sheets of decorative material such asfabric 10, with each sheet covering a separate piece of foam 6 and 7.Thus, a window treatment device according to this embodiment of theinvention facilitates the use of different fabrics or combinations ofmultiple fabrics for decorative purposes. Fabric may be allowed to hangfrom the slot to form a curtain or drape.

[0023] In addition to sheets of decorative material, other decorativeobjects can be tucked into the slot 8 on the front side of the windowtreatment device. These other decorative objects, such as tassels,cords, chains, buttons, pins, pendants, flowers, and other decorativeobjects, can hang from the window treatment device, rather than wrap thestraight section 1 to provided additional decorative effects.

[0024] Referring to FIG. 3, the elongate rigid core 5 is preferablyformed of an extruded polymer material, preferably rigid vinyl or ABSplastic. It will be appreciated that other rigid materials such as, forexample, aluminum, wood, and cellulose based materials, could also beused. The elongate rigid core 5 has a first elongate channel 8 or slotdisposed on a rear side. The elongate channel forms a first opening intoa rear interior cavity. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, theelongate rigid core or profile also includes an elongate channel or slotin the front side that defines an opening into a front interior cavity.The edge of a sheet of fabric 10 and/or other decorative material can bepassed through an opening and into an interior cavity. The slots 8 canalso be used to receive mounting brackets 11, such as shown in FIG. 4.The elongate rigid core 5 also preferably includes hollow or boxes 9that receive connectors 4, as shown in FIG. 1. The shape of the elongaterigid core 5 is preferably the same front and back, which allows foreasy assembly of multiple sections.

[0025] Referring to FIG. 4, which is a cross-sectional view of windowtreatment device according to the invention, a mounting bracket 11 thathas been inserted into a slot 8 between the ends of the fabric 10 inorder to support the weight of the device. The mounting bracket 11preferably comprises a cornice back support 12, which is a tab or flangethat extends down across the face of the rear side of the elongate rigidcore to provide angular support to the cornice to maintain a verticalorientation of the cornice when mounted. It will be appreciated thatother angles may be supported if desired. The mounting bracket 11further comprises an end 13 for attachment to a wall or other verticalsupport structure fasteners. Preferably, the mounting bracket 11 isprovided with slotted openings for the fasteners 14 and 15, which allowsfor length adjustment.

[0026] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, an end return 2 having two “V”notches 16 with approximately a 45° angles cut to a depth that is almostentirely through the elongate rigid core 5 is shown. Preferably, the “V”notches 16 are spaced apart slightly from one another such that whenfolded they close the “V” notches to form an approximate right angle asshown in FIG. 6. Preferably, there are two different lengths 17 and 18between the end of the end return 2 and the “V” notches 16 allowing theend return 2 to be used for two different return distances from thewall, depending on whether it is used on the right or left end of thecornice. Fabric 10 may be easily attached to the end returns 2 and 3while they are assembled to the straight section(s) 1 and in a flatorientation, then the end returns 2 and 3 can be folded to close off theends of the cornice to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance. Endreturn 3 is a symmetrical part to end return 2 and has the same featuresas end return 2.

[0027] The end return bend may also be achieved by other methods and maybe made as part of a length of panel that is produced to a specifiedlength to fit a particular size. Another method of achieving the bendfor the end return is to make several parallel slots across the panelbefore or after the foam is attached. The slots are preferably providedin the same direction as the “V” notches in FIG.5. By modifying thenumber of slots, the slot spacing and width, the radius and angle of thebend in the end return can be determined.

[0028] In another embodiment of the invention, the cornice is curved ina direction that is not the same direction as the end return. This curveallows the cornice to follow a radius or other curved section of awindow or provides additional aesthetic designs. This curve or radiusmay be achieved by providing several parallel slots across the section 1before or after the foam is attached. Preferably, the slots used to formthe curve are perpendicular to the length of the panel and perpendicularto the “V” notches or slots used to provide the end return. By modifyingthe number of slots and the slot spacing and width, the radius and angleof the bend in the cornice can be adjusted.

[0029] Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur tothose skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broaderaspects is not limited to the specific details and illustrative examplesshown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventiveconcept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed:
 1. A decorative window treatment device comprising: anelongate rigid core having a front side and an opposing rear side, therear side being provided with a first elongate channel that defines afirst opening into a rear interior cavity; and a layer of resilientmaterial disposed on the elongate rigid core.
 2. The decorative windowtreatment device according to claim 1 further comprising a first sheetof decorative material disposed on the resilient material, the firstsheet having a first edge tucked through the first opening and into therear interior cavity.
 3. The decorative window treatment deviceaccording to claim 2 wherein the front side is provided with a secondelongate channel that defines a second opening into a front interiorcavity.
 4. The decorative window treatment device according to claim 3further comprising a second sheet of decorative material disposed on theresilient material, the second sheet having a second edge tucked throughthe second opening and into the front interior cavity.
 5. The decorativewindow treatment device according to claim 1 further comprising a pairof opposing end returns, each end return being connected to the elongaterigid core using at least one connector.
 6. The decorative windowtreatment device according to claim 1 wherein the elongate rigid corecomprises a substantially hollow structure formed of an extrudedpolymer.
 7. The decorative window treatment device according to claim 6wherein the pair of opposing end returns comprise substantially hollowstructures formed of an extruded polymer.
 8. The decorative windowtreatment device according to claim 7 wherein the each of the pair ofopposing end returns and the elongate rigid core have the same profilein cross-section where they contact each other.
 9. The decorative windowtreatment device according to claim 1 wherein the layer of resilientmaterial disposed on the elongate rigid core extends into the firstopening and at least partially into the first interior cavity tofrictionally engage the first sheet.
 10. The decorative window treatmentdevice according to claim 1 further comprising a mounting bracket, themounting bracket comprising a rigid member having a first end forattachment to a wall and a second end for insertion through the firstopening into the first interior cavity.
 11. The decorative windowtreatment device according to claim 10 wherein the length of themounting bracket is adjustable.
 12. The decorative window treatmentdevice according to claim 1 wherein the first side of the elongate rigidcore is provided with a plurality of notches, the notches beinggenerally parallel to each other and generally perpendicular to thefirst elongate channel.
 13. The decorative window treatment deviceaccording to claim 12 wherein the notches facilitate bending of theelongate rigid core to form a pair of integral end returns.
 14. Thedecorative window treatment device according to claim 1 wherein theresilient material comprises a foam sheet.
 15. The decorative windowtreatment device according to claim 2 wherein the decorative materialcomprises fabric.
 16. The decorative window treatment device accordingto claim 3 wherein a decorative object other than a sheet of decorativematerial is at least partially tucked into and retained in the secondopening.
 17. A decorative window treatment device comprising: asubstantially hollow elongate rigid core formed of extruded polymerhaving a front side and an opposing rear side, the rear side beingprovided with a first elongate channel that defines a first opening intoa rear interior cavity; a layer of resilient foam sheeting materialdisposed on the elongate rigid core; a pair of opposing end returns eachextending from the elongate rigid core at an angle; and a mountingbracket comprising a rigid member having a first end for attachment to awall and a second end for insertion through the first opening into thefirst interior cavity.
 18. The decorative window treatment deviceaccording to claim 17 further comprising a first sheet of decorativefabric material disposed on the resilient material, the first sheethaving a first edge tucked through the first opening and into the rearinterior cavity.
 19. The decorative window treatment device according toclaim 18 wherein the front side is provided with a second elongatechannel that defines a second opening into a front interior cavity. 20.The decorative window treatment device according to claim 19 furthercomprising a second sheet of decorative material disposed on theresilient material, the second sheet having a second edge tucked throughthe second opening and into the front interior cavity.
 21. Thedecorative window treatment device according to claim 20 wherein adecorative object other than a sheet of decorative material is at leastpartially tucked into and retained in the second opening.
 22. Thedecorative window treatment device according to claim 18 wherein thefirst side of the elongate rigid core is provided with a plurality ofnotches, the notches being generally parallel to each other andgenerally perpendicular to the first elongate channel, the notchesfacilitating the bending of the elongate rigid core to form the opposingend returns.